Those who saw the original art experienced a 22% drop in cortisol, the stress hormone
New research led by King’s College London shows that viewing original art in a gallery can significantly improve human health, lowering stress and heart disease risk and boosting immunity.
Researchers tested 50 people ages 18–40. Half viewed real paintings by artists like Van Gogh, Manet, and Gauguin at a gallery, while the other half looked at printed copies elsewhere.
Those who saw the original art experienced a 22% drop in cortisol, the stress hormone, compared with 8% for people viewing copies.
They also showed big reductions in inflammatory markers linked to chronic diseases, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, fell 30% and 28% respectively, while the copy-viewers saw no change.
Researchers concluded that art doesn’t just affect emotions but also physically calms and protects the body.